Category Archives: Volunteering

The time has come for me to say goodbye to both you and this blog, at least for now. As many of you know this has been a completely volunteer effort with the goal being to encourage librarians from everywhere to travel and work beyond their borders. I spent fourteen years of my life doing just that and it enriched and expanded me both personally and professionally. While I still completely believe in this mission, it is time for me to focus on other goals in my life, although I am not yet clear exactly what will be next…

Sarah P’s comments: This would be a great opportunity for a bi-lingual librarian…

8/29/17: I just heard that they have found a volunteer. However, the conference is still open if anyone would like to attend. Details in Spanish at the bottom of this post…

Good morning Sarah,

I´m a librarian in Colombia and I enjoy following your informative and useful blog “The traveling librarian”.

I work at Invemar a public/non profit organization which conducts scientific research on marine and coastal ecosystems here in Colombia.

I’m writing to ask if you can help us via your blog in finding a volunteer to assist us in late November (27th – 30th) where we will be offering an international course on digital repositories. The primary responsibility of this person would be to do real time Spanish/English translations during the course.

A strong command of both languages is important and we would prefer someone with either library or records management education.

We would like to host the volunteer (lodging and meals) for one week, preferably if he/she could arrive 3-4 days ahead of the start date to prepare. It could be a great experience and a wonderful chance to enjoy Santa Marta and Colombian Caribbean Coast.

Sarah P’s comments: Technically this is a job since there is a salary however it is really low. You must also be bilingual and in one part of the ad they say accepting applicants with library studies yet in another paragraph they state you must be a philosophy major…confusing. However, if you are seeking international library experience but do not yet have a master’s degree, and speak Spanish, here is an opportunity to gain some experience.

SALARY

Minimum: $500.00
Maximum: $600.00

PUBLISHED:

06/05/2017

START DATE:

08/01/2017

APPLICATION DEADLINE:

06/16/2017

The school

Our partners are non for profit schools in the state of Chiapas, Mexico, the country’s southernmost state and the one with the largest Indian population. Rich in biological and anthropological diversity, with colonial towns, indian villages and Mayan ruins, the region has the largest tropical rainforest in Mexico. The school is located in the capital, Tuxtla, a growing and thriving city of 500,000 with all typical amenities. The school, which is expanding, aspires to become a leader in high quality education in the region, and has deepening commitments to STEAM+Green, progressive instruction, experiential education and project based learning. An existing and thriving PYP IB program will soon be expanded to the Upper School.

We are recruiting candidates with background in EFL, ELA, Literacy or Library studies to head our small library and assist us in its expansion and growth. IB experience, either as a student or teaching IB, is greatly valued. Classes are small, about 20-25 students, with 50 students per grade level. A 4 acre suburban campus, with ample green spaces, 4 academic buildings, an all purpose auditorium, a sky hydroponic garden, and nice soccer, running and multipurpose fields. Classrooms are large and well equipped, with multimedia capacity and internet access.

Chiapas’ rich geographic, ecological, cultural and artistic heritage provides ample opportunities for experiential learning, for weekend explorations, for eco and cultural tourism. We believe the region is our classroom and actively promote experiential learning and service learning throughout our curriculum.

Candidates must have at least a BA in Philosophy (or closely related field, equivalent coursework). tHIS IS AN EXCEPTIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR PHILOSOPHY MAJORS TO GAIN CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE AND jumpstart a career as an international teacher. We are seeking someone entrepreneurial, a self starter who wants to build a program from scratch using off the shelf activities and cases from the vast repertoire of P4C and Critical Thinking education materials, applied to the local Mexican, developing country context. The position includes annual RT airfare, a local middle class salary starting at 11,000 pesos (roughly 600 USD/month), transportation to/from school, and free housing. Offers are typically a 2 year contract with the possibility of renewal. Teaching couples are most welcome and we provide children with free tuition scholarship.

Sarah P’s comments: The key to finding a good volunteer opp is to make sure you do your research. The Canadian Alliance for Development Initiatives and Projects (CADIP) is a non-profit Canadian organization dedicated to promoting peace, cooperation, tolerance, and understanding in multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and international surroundings. They offer affordable (their words) short term volunteer projects. CADIP opportunities are listed regularly on Idealist so I decided to do a check-in e-mail which is one of the tools I use to check volunteer opportunities. If they reply, I take this as a positive. Is this case, they did and I have included their e-mail below.

Thank you for your message and your interest in our activities. The international volunteer programs are an affordable and exciting opportunity for involvement in wide variety of projects. You can access the short-term volunteer programs with updated list of the free places and detailed descriptions of the projects by following this link: http://www.cadip.org/workcamps. The long-term volunteer projects can be seen at: http://www.cadip.org/projects.

The placement of volunteers is done on a first-come first-served basis and projects usually fill up pretty quickly. That’s why we advise all the interested volunteers to get enrolled as soon as they’ve found in the program the project they would like to join. The enrollment procedure is quick and easy and can be completed online (www.cadip.org/enrol).

Each applicant chooses the projects he/she wants to apply for and puts them in order of preference in the Volunteer enrollment form. Only the first project choice is a compulsory field, however one or two alternative choices will increase your chances to be placed. We proceed the placement in this same order. Our organization is well-known for its easy and fast procedure. Your placement will be confirmed no later than 7 days after you submit all required documents and payment information. With the application we require the payment information because we charge the participation fee and the annual membership right after successful placement and before confirming it to the person. Please, note that we don’t have an application fee or any other kind of non-refundable deposits, which means that if we cannot accept you for any reason, you will not be charged anything.
In terms of fees, we have the best pricing in North America. Other experience-based travel opportunities, including tourist packages and other volunteer organizers, bill in the thousands of dollars and often demand a non-refundable deposit equal to our fee. At CADIP, we believe in the importance of making volunteering abroad affordable and keep the cost of the experience-based travel we offer low.

For more links to volunteering in general, participation requirements, enrollment procedure, former volunteer comments, and other information, visit our main web at www.cadip.org.

Any questions or concerns? Feel free to write us or call the office at 646-657-2900.
Thank you for considering volunteering with CADIP.

Sarah P’s comments: Actually, this position is listed as ‘paid volunteer’ but that is an oxymoron. The position does cover expenses plus a small salary which is much better than volunteer positions where you have to pay! On the negative side, it sounds like quite a job, of which overseeing the library is a small part. The deadline was May 20 but if you are interested, shoot of a quick letter and resume. Volunteer and low pay positions are usually not as strict about deadlines as jobs.

The position of Cambodia Director for Wings of Hope/John Givonetti Giving is a multifaceted position managing a program that aims to provide rural Cambodian children (currently 500 to 600 students in three schools) with the skills to pull themselves out of poverty, primarily through instruction in English and computer skills. Teaching is conducted by an organized group of high school students (Student Teachers) that JGG has trained to teach both subjects (currently 60 Student Teachers). The position is based in Bak Chinhchien, Pursat Province, Cambodia with occasional travel outside the area to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Khmer Language skills are not a requirement. We are seeking a minimum one year commitment.

While the JGG Director is responsible for all JGG program activities, the primary allocation of the Director’s time and effort will be the administrative functions specified in General Responsibilities.

About us:The Arajuno Road Project (ARP)/Proyecto Ruta del Arajuno was created in 2008 with the goal of supporting the schools and improving the opportunities available in the communities along the road located between the small city of Puyo and the rural community of Arajuno – a culturally and ecologically diverse area – in the Ecuadorian Amazon. The program works in rural communities providing support in education, improving the infrastructure and learning environment of schools, and working on community development and conservation programs, such as school gardens and reforestation.

Position summary:ARP established a center in collaboration with one of our partner communities in 2016, which acts both as the base for ARP operations and community functions. This position helps with community center development, and runs basic courses and opportunities. Center activities have included infrastructure improvements, tutoring for primary school students, English classes for teachers and community members, overseeing the library, cultural events, and in the future, computer classes.

What we ask from you: Volunteers/interns should be able to commit to at least one pre-defined service period and priority will be given to those applying for consecutive periods. You will live on site in the dormitory at the community center. After an initial orientation, you will be expected to run agreed upon community center activities weekday afternoons/evenings; corresponding planning and administrative duties will be on your own schedule. You will also be expected to participate in a weekly minga (community service) with the community one afternoon each week. Documenting your work will be important for the long-term success of the program and future volunteers. If you have any special abilities/skills, you are also welcome to propose a community class.

Responsibilities:

Run 1-2 classes per week

Oversee library hours and keep library resources organized

Help with overall infrastructure development and maintenance of the center

Assist with center organization

Assist during community work days

Assist with other center activities when possible

Keep activity materials up to date and organized

Weekly check-in with program team

Document work

Mandatory Qualifications:

Experience leading activities

Intermediate Spanish

Desired Qualifications:

Previous non-formal education experience

Previous experience working with multiple age groups

Previous international work or volunteer experience

Advanced Spanish

Skills:

Excellent people skills

First class communication skills

Strong organizational and problem-solving skills

Ability to adapt quickly to diverse situations

Tolerant, patient, and understanding

Familiarity or willingness to learn Google Drive/Docs

Dates and Expenses: Positions begin the first Monday of each month. Project participation fees include food and housing, training and administrative support for the position; the expense for the six week minimum is $550, the recommended eight weeks is $650, and additional weeks cost $50. Flights, visas, insurance, local transport and excursions are the responsibility of the volunteer.

Sarah P’s comments: While obtaining an international position may be your goal, one way of gaining experience is to volunteer. Idealist currently has three positions of interest. Idealist, a US nonprofit organization, began life in 1995 as Action Without Borders, with the goal of creating a global network of people and organizations working towards the goal of a world where all people can live free and dignified lives. Online and globally, Idealist.org connects 100,000 people with jobs and volunteer and action opportunities posted by 90,000 organizations around the world. The organization operates in English, Spanish and French. You can use this site to post information about yourself and/or search for both internship and volunteer opportunities.

I have noticed in recent years, many more jobs posted vs. internships and volunteering opps. There has also been an increasing number of US postings, however there are still international listings. Unfortunately, there is no way to search for only ‘international’ and the best method is to enter ‘library’ or ‘librarian’ as a keyword and scroll through the listings.